Workshop to Focus on Volatile Organic Compound and Hazardous Air Pollutants

ASTM Committee D01 on Paint and Related Coatings, Materials and Applications will present a technical seminar, “New Solvents and Formulating Techniques for Low VOC and HAP Paints,” on Sunday, June 15, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The seminar will be held in conjunction with the D01 committee meeting to be held in Vancouver June 15-18.

Formulating quality coatings with low volatile organic compound content has been a high priority of the paint industry since the environmental movement began in the 1970s. The degree of difficulty has increased as VOC limits continue to be reduced, with more recent regulations making hazardous air pollutants a priority as well. The purpose of the seminar is to explain the current state of the art in achieving quality products with the lowest possible VOC and HAP content.

The following three papers will be presented at the seminar:

“Solvent Selection and Formulation Practices for Low VOC and Low HAP Coatings” – J. Douglas Booton, Eastman Chemical Co. This paper explains the scientific principles used in solvent selection and how they can be applied to achieve good properties while minimizing VOC and HAP content.

“Photochemical Reactivity – A New Paradigm for VOC Regulation”—Ronald R. Hill, ExxonMobil Chemical Co. Hill will present the case for basing future regulations on the tendency of ingredients to form ground-level ozone, rather than the current approach, which is to reduce the mass of nearly all volatile components emitted under specified test conditions. Examples will show how these principles make it possible to formulate better products while further reducing smog.